Fatima, Vatican II, and the World’s Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Vatican, 23 October, 2022 / 3:23 PM

The 60th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council is not the only notable anniversary currently being celebrated by the Church. 

Almost to the day 80 years ago, on Oct. 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII consecrated the Church and the human race to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in a radio message to Portugal on the occasion of the Jubilee of the apparitions of Fatima.

Ten years later, in 1952, Pius XII consecrated the peoples of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 

However, few today remember that the request to renew the consecration actually came from the Second Vatican Council and was accepted by Pope Paul VI.

Official Portrait of St. Paul VI / Public Domain.

Sister Lucia Dos Santos. Public Domain / Facebook, Virgin of Fatima

On June 13, 1929, Sister Lucia had a splendid vision of the Holy Trinity and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, during which Our Lady told her that “the moment had come when she wanted her desire for the consecration of Russia to participate in the Holy Church and his promise to convert her.”

According to Sister Lucia, Our Lady underlined that “the moment has come when God asks that the Holy Father make, in union with all the bishops of the world, the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, promising in this way to save her. There are so many souls that God’s justice condemns for sins committed against me, so I come to ask for reparation: sacrifice yourself with this intention and pray.”

Sister Lucia, through her confessors and the bishop of Leiria, managed to get the request of the Madonna delivered to Pope Pius XI, who promised to consider it.

Sister Lucia said that the Lord then complained to her that the consecration of Russia had not been realized. “They didn’t want to listen to my request. Like the king of France, they will regret it, and they will. But it will be late. Russia will have already caused her mistakes in the world, causing wars and persecution of the Church. The Holy Father will have to suffer a lot.”

The allusion was to the French King Louis XIV, the so-called “Sun King.” 

In 1668, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque asked to have the Sacred Heart of Jesus applied to the royal banners. However, Louis XIV did not, and his dynasty fell under the guillotine with Louis XVI.

Sister Lucia wrote several letters about the devotion. Finally, on Dec. 2, 1940, Sister Lucia wrote directly to the pope, asking that he bless the devotion of the First Saturdays. 

And so, on Oct. 31, 1942, in his radio message to Portugal on the occasion of the Jubilee of the apparitions, Pius XII consecrated the Church and the human race to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

This was followed in 1952 by the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. And it led to the request of the bishops of the council — and ultimately to the consecration made by Paul VI.